Lysurus corallocephalus - freaky fungus

Submitted by Lorraine on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 21:25

Have you seen this fungus?  It belongs to the stinkhorn family and is highly odiferous. It is seemingly rather uncommon.  It lasted for 48 hours. Please let us know if you have seen one - when and where.

Lysurus corallocephalus
Lysurus corallocephalus
Lysurus corallocephalus
Lysurus corallocephalus
Lysurus corallocephalus
Lysurus corallocephalus
Lysurus corallocephalus
Lysurus corallocephalus

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Seen last week at our home on the Bushmans River near Kenton-on-Sea in the Eastern Cape. It took us days to work out what they were. I took a photo if you'd like one. Let me know.

Submitted by Susan Corner on Thu, 04/26/2012 - 06:24

Hi Susan
They seem to be more common than indicated by my sources. Yes, do send a picture and I'll add it to the blog. I also found one in Bathurst at the nursery this year but in a different place. Fascinating things as long as they're downwind. I found another type of stinkhorn in the garden as well which I will publish soon.

Submitted by Lorraine on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 17:51

Many thanks to Susan Corner who sent me the last two photos. Here's what she wrote:

Bizarrely, the two that we found (only one removed and photographed) didn't smell at all. I have the nose of a bloodhound so would have detected them from very far away if they were pungent in any way!
This is the first time we've spotted them in 11 years.
We've decided they look like cigarettes in cartoons; you know, the ones that get blown up at the tip.

Submitted by Lorraine on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 15:07

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